Treating Foot Conditions at St. Luke’s

Our feet are important to our ability to move from place to place. They help us to stand, maintain our balance, walk and run. With healthy feet, we can do simple things like run errands, drive the car and go for a walk. However, there are some conditions that make these simple things difficult and painful. Some conditions could even lead to more serious problems.

There are many conditions that affect the feet and the doctors at St. Luke’s are prepared to treat these problems. Some foot disorders are listed below.

Bunions – Occur when the big toe points in toward the second toe. This causes a bump or bony swelling on the edge of the big toe joint. Bunions can be painful.

Claw foot – A deformity of the toes where the toe joint nearest the foot is bent upward and the other toe joints bend downward.

Club foot – A birth defect where the foot turns inward and downward.

Corns and calluses – Hard, thick layers of skin that form on the hands and feet because of friction.

Diabetic foot problems – Infections of the feet caused by the blood circulation, nerve and immune system problems associated with diabetes. Common foot problems such as athlete’s foot, calluses, blisters, ingrown toenails can lead to infections more easily for people with diabetes.

Flat feet – The foot’s arch runs from the toes to the heel. Flat feet occur when their arches collapses to the ground.

Foot swelling – Painless swelling of the feet, ankles and/or legs due to an abnormal buildup of fluid.

Hammertoes – Toes that are curled because their middle joints are bent.

Heel pain – Pain in the heel that can be caused by plantar fascitis, nerve inflammation, arthritis, tendonitis or a stress fracture.

High arch – The foot’s arch runs from the toes to the heel. High arch is when the arch is raised unusually high.

Ingrown toenail – Occurs when the edge of the toenail grows into the skin. An ingrown toenail may cause pain and swelling.

Nerve dysfunction – Loss of feeling or movement in the leg and/or foot because of damage to the peroneal nerve. This nerve damage can be caused by things as simple as constant crossing of the legs or as traumatic as a broken leg.

Plantar fascitis – An inflammation of the tissue along the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes. This tissue is called the plantar fascia.